Darkhorse
Darkhorse is an immortal, magical creature from the Void. He is described by Richard A. Knaak as 'a living black hole with an attitude.', and on multiple occasions in the books as a 'Child of the Void'. Darkhorse takes the shape of a horse because he has always admired the form, but he is not limited to that shape. Darkhorse has now worn the shape of a horse so long he rarely shifts at all unless forced to or if it serves him in battle. Darkhorse was initially formed by the entity Yureel, a sadistic and whimsical being who became bored of wandering the Void, and so formed Darkhorse as a playmate. Darkhorse eventually fled from Yureel, when Yureel tried to 'absorb' him. He took to wandering the Void, attempting to avoid Yureel at all costs, when he encountered Dru Zeree, a Vraad sorcerer who had become lost in the Void. Dru Zeree led Darkhorse to the Dragonrealm, and from then on Darkhorse preferred to spend all of his time in the Dragonrealm. He grew to love the Dragonrealm so much that even after he was exiled back to the Void by the deities he and Dru Zeree encountered, he spent 15 years searching through alternate worlds trying to find back the Dragonrealm and his friend Dru Zeree. Darkhorse is a long time friend of the Bedlam family, and is particularly close to Cabe Bedlam. History Darkhorse was 'born' when the entity Yureel, known at the time simply as 'I', split himself in two in an attempt to create an entity like himself. Yureel was a magical entity of the Void, who simply wandered though the Void for countless years. Multiple times he came across living organisms from other realms that he usually 'played' with for a time to amuse him. When Yureel became bored of these 'playthings', he absorbed them. He learned, from their minds, of other realms and worlds so full of life and things. Yureel became frustrated, wanting to explore these realms but unable to escape the vast reaches of the empty Void. He became so desperate for company, something more than his 'playthings' that he tried to fragment himself in order to have another person to 'play' with. He tried forming multiple, smaller fragments of himself, but each one he made was too weak and eventually faded. He realized that in order to create another playmate, he would have to literally split himself into two pieces, two twins. He succeeded in this, and one of these, known for a time as 'Other I', would eventually become Darkhorse. Yureel and Darkhorse wandered the Void together, until eventually, when they had briefly separated, Darkhorse came across someone who had become lost in the Void. Darkhorse spoke with this person, and through him learned of the places of life and matter beyond the Void. Midway through this conversation, however, Yureel interrupted them and absorbed Darkhorse's companion. Darkhorse became angry with Yureel, finally learning after all this time the lack of respect his twin had for life. A disagreement ensued, ending when Yureel, finally tiring of his counterpart, tried to absorb Darkhorse. This event instilled within Darkhorse a permanent terror of being absorbed, and a fear of Yureel. His horror allowed him to escape Yureel, and he fled across the Void. Even Darkhorse did not know how long and far he fled, so caught up was he in his terror. Nevertheless, he succeeded in escaping his twin, and then spent an unknown amount of time wandering in the Void, avoiding Yureel. The Shrouded Realm Darkhorse is first introduced to the shrouded realm when he encountered an injured Dru Zeree, who was lost in the Void. Darkhorse began to converse with Dru, and, quickly sensing that Dru was injured, gave him a bit of 'Self' (energy) to heal him. This was before the point where Darkhorse even had a name, and his innocence and curiosity caused him to become quickly fascinated with Dru. Dru, not knowing exactly how to handle a creature like Darkhorse and not wanting to be 'absorbed', explained to Darkhorse the meaning of names, whereupon Darkhorse decided that he wanted one. They eventually decided upon 'Darkness' as a name, as it was descriptive of his nature. Darkness agreed to help Dru attempt to return to Nimth, where he left his daughter, Sharissa Zeree, alone, and together the two managed to journey to the Dragonrealm. Despite Dru's protests that the Dragonrealm was not Nimth, Darkness was completely convinced that he brought Dru to the right location. The two journey for a time, Darkness seeming to be amazed by everything they came across, so much so that when he and Dru came across a running creek he spent a fair amount of time splashing the water and exclaiming to Dru how fascinating it was. Eventually Darkness decided that his 'form', at present a mere blob, did not suit his world, and mentioned to Dru that he wanted to make one. Telling Dru that he would be entering something akin to a trance, and asking him to guard over him, Darkness condensed himself into a pulsing ball, remaining there for some time. During this time, Dru was loured away from Darkness by his horse, who had inadvertently crossed into the Dragonrealm from Nimth. Not wanting to lose the animal again, yet unable to physically stop it, Dru followed it and encountered ancient ruins. Unluckily, Dru was captured by Seekers who were exploring the ruins, looking for clues as to what had happened to the Founders. Darkness eventually came out if his trance, ''altered by still undecided upon a final form", and found Dru missing. He began to look for the sorcerer, but instead encountered Dru's errant horse. Extremely fascinated with the shape of the horse, Darkness quickly examined it and altered himself into a horse, whereupon he went to rescue Dru from the avians. After rescuing an exhausted Dru, Darkness quickly asked Dru what a horse was called, wanting to decide upon a new name. As he thought 'Darknesshorse' ran too long, he decided upon 'Darkhorse' as a final name. Children of the Drake Firedrake Darkhorse is first introduced in the novel when he journeys with Cabe Bedlam to Penacles. As Cabe had recently lost his horse in an encounter with a basilisk, the warlock Shade provided him with another mount, which was really Darkhorse in disguise. Darkhorse deliberately took a longer route through the Dagora forest, passing near the Manor. This was planned, as both Shade and Darkhorse were hoping that Cabe would be able to free Lady Gwendolyn from her amber prison, which he did. However Darkhorse did not account for the three firedrakes that were living at the Manor who seduced Cabe upon his arrival and separated him from Darkhorse. One of the firedrakes, Tegan, remained behind to tend to Darkhorse as if he were a real horse, but was injured instead when Darkhorse revealed himself, prompting her to flee back to the Manor. Free of the drakes, Darkhorse still found himself unable to enter the Manor due to the complex defensive spells that had been cast by Lady Gwendolyn before she was imprisoned. Knowing Cabe was in danger from the firedrakes and concerned for him, Darkhorse magically urged the young sorcerer to allow him entrance while wandering about the barrier. Cabe resisted these urges however, not knowing what it was outside the Manor and whether it meant him good or ill. Cabe was soon forced to allow Darkhorse entry when he, in freeing the Lady Gwen, left himself open to attack from the firedrakes. After Cabe had allowed him entrance, Darkhorse joyfully leapt in to save his young companion, saving Cabe first from the firedrakes and then from the uncontrolled release of power caused by the Lady Gwen's prison breaking down. Shadow Steed After his self-caused exile into the Void, Darkhorse is unwillingly dragged back into the Dragonrealm by a sorcerer named Drayfitt. During this process, Shade was able to escape from Darkhorse and re-enter the Dragonrealm as Madrac. Drayfitt's intention with his spell had been to summon a demon upon the request of King Melicard. The Crystal Dragon Darkhorse plays an important role in the Crystal Dragon. Darkhorse is found by Cabe Bedlam and Queen Erini in the Northern wastes, at the exact location where Shade died. Erini had led Cabe to this particular place so Cabe could ask Darkhorse to accompany him to Legar, where Cabe was certain that Wolf Raiders from the continent across the Eastern Seas had landed. Cabe had also been called there by the Crystal Dragon. Darkhorse was indeed in the Northern Wastes, reflecting on the loss of his one friend who had been there for him through time. When Cabe and Erini appeared, he quickly agreed to return with them to Talak, especially upon noticing the state of Erini- who had over extended herself bringing Cabe to the Northern Wastes. After returning Erini to Talak, Cabe explained to Darkhorse the significance of the quest he had in mind. Without hesitation, Darkhorse agreed to journey with Cabe to Legar. Leaving Erini in the care of King Melicard, the two journeyed to Zuu, where they encountered trouble with Lanith's growing Magical Order, who wished to recruit Cabe after sensing he was a wizard. During this time Cabe also has an encounter with Yssa, who introduces herself to him as Tori. Cabe and Darkhorse are able to escape the Order, but are both affected by the magical backlash of energy that occurred when the staff of Ponteroy shattered, due to both Cabe's actions and the 'idiodic matrix' Ponteroy had incorporated into his staff. The pair rested for a time in the Hills of Esedi, recovering from the magical backlash. When they were both recovered sufficiently to enter Legar, they discovered an unhealthy red-green mist spreading over the land. This was in reality a portion of Nimth released by the Crystal Dragon in an attempt to rid himself of the Wolf Raiders. Despite the danger and difficulties the Mist presented, Cabe and Darkhorse journeyed through the mist. With nothing the occupy his thoughts during this time, Darkhorse's thoughts returned to dwelling on the loss of Shade, increasing his frustration and restlessness. Only a few hours into the mist, and after encountering no more difficulty than a frightened minor drake and a strange light, the pair encounter a Wolf Raider patrol. Darkhorse expresses relief and excitement at something to lash out at, something which worries Cabe, but the two are occupied by the fight. The Wolf Raiders are quickly defeated, with help from an unknown being, who later turns out to be Plool. Darkhorse, after the fight, is affected by Wild magic, which was caused by Cabe's spellwork during the short battle as well as the Nimthian mist. Being an entity of magic himself, Darkhorse was more affected by the wild magic, but he managed to recover quickly. The two were then separated by Plool, using an illusion of a nonsensical Nimthian monster. Darkhorse had stepped ahead to defend his friend, being unusually careful with the monster. When the monster simply turned out to be an illusion, he turned back to Cabe only to find they had been separated. Worried, he searched the immediate area for his friend, and when he found no sign of him returned to the hills of Esedi. He states that he spent a good amount of time there, searching up and down for Cabe in case Cabe had returned to Esedi. There he encounters the Gryphon, recently returned from the war on the continent across the Eastern Seas. Here Darkhorse is described by the Gryphon as 'distraught', and 'dismayed by what he considered terrible carelessness'. The two quickly re enter Legar, with the Gryphon riding Darkhorse, to search for Cabe. The two have another encounter with Wild Magic, which seeks to wreak havoc on both the Gryphon and Darkhorse's forms. Darkhorse was 'twisted' into any shape the powers could derive from his memories, including the Gryphon, and Shade, but with a defined face. Soon after Darkhorse recovered, and the two continued their journey. They encountered another Wolf Raider patrol, a larger one than the previous one, and the Gryphon is soon forced into a net and captured. The Wolf Raiders threatened the Gryphon's life if Darkhorse did not surrender, which he quickly did. The Wolf Raiders harnessed him to a device designed to sap the will and strength of the being it imprisoned, but Darkhorse, being a magical being, was having his literal essence drained slowly away. He fought it as best he could, but he was unable to free himself with out outside aid. Luckily outside aid did eventually come in the form of Cabe, who had infiltrated the Wold Raider camp in hopes of gaining more information and finding his companion(s). As Cabe lacked the knowledge and experience to remove the harness, Darkhorse urged him to go and free the Gryphon before freeing him. Added to Darkhorse's reasoning was that the Wolf Raiders were planning on executing the Gryphon in the near future. The Gryphon, after escaping with some help from Cabe, made his way to Darkhorse. Darkhorse entered something akin to a trance in order to fight the device from inside, while the Gryphon worked on dismantling it from outside. Unfortunately, the Gryphon was interrupted by Orril D'Marr, and a duel began between the two while Darkhorse continued fighting the harness from inside. The duel between the Gryphon and D'Marr ends with D'Mar falling into a collapsing cavern, supposedly crushed under tons of earth, and Darkhorse manages to free himself in time to protect the already injured Gryphon from the wild magic lose in the area. Later, after everything has calmed down, Cabe joins them and the Gryphon regains consciousness. They are all extremely weak at that point, with the Gryphon barely able to form coherent sentences and Darkhorse unable to revert to his normal form. Soon after, drakes sent by the Crystal Dragon arrive to escort them out from Legar. Cabe briefly leaves them to speak with the Crystal Dragon again, and Darkhorse, not trusting the drakes near the injured Gryphon and concerned for his friend, managed to reform himself and even alter his shape such that the Gryphon could ride more comfortably lying on him. The novel ends when, after Cabe has rejoined them, the three begin their journey out of Legar Peninsula. The Dragon Crown The Horse King Darkhorse is a crucial character in the Horse King, as the novel deals with the return of Yureel. The novel begins when Aurim, attempting to 'bedazzle' two young women with his magic, performs a spell that goes horribly wrong. Aurim and the two women were safely extracted from the spell, but Aurim, embarrassed and discouraged after losing control of his spells yet again, wanted to wander Penacles in solitude. Darkhorse joined him, leading him to Gullivan's tavern in an attempt to calm the mage. It was here Aurim met 'Jenna', who was actually Saress in disguise. Believing 'Jenna' to be who she said she was, and seeing the growing attraction between Aurim and Jenna, Darkhorse quickly left the pair and returned to the palace to speak with the Gryphon and the Bedlams. It was later decided that Cabe and Darkhorse would go together to investigate recent activity in the kingdom of Zuu, which had been steadily increasing it's military strength for years. Cabe and Darkhorse do go to investigate, only to find that the small barony of Adderly, slightly north of Zuu, was no more, King Lanith having used his Magical Order and Army to completely annihilate them. Cabe and Darkhorse seek to investigate further, but are caught in a trap that seemed designed specifically for Darkhorse. The trap was designed to force Darkhorse into a smaller and smaller shape. Cabe was protected by Darkhorse, who had immediately enveloped his friend to protect him but the trap eventually forced Darkhorse into such a small shape that Cabe was injured. Yssa, who had been watching the area for a time, managed to free them from the trap and then guide them to safety in what used to be the Barren lands. She healed Cabe, at the same time conversing with Darkhorse about a mysterious 'intelligent force' King Lanith controlled. After learning from Darkhorse of 'Jenna''s interest in Aurim, and realizing that Jenna might be Saress in disguise, trying to seduce Aurim, she quickly left Darkhorse. Not wanting to leave the unconscious Cabe unguarded, yet still lacking the strength to teleport the two of them back to Penacles, Darkhorse waited until Cabe awoke, and then the two of them rode back to Penacles to confer with the Gryphon and Lady Bedlam. It was decided that the Bedlams would return to the Manor to research this 'intelligent force', meanwhile the Gryphon would do what he could in Penacles. Darkhorse offered to track down Aurim Bedlam, who they still believed was somewhere in the City. Unbeknownst to Darkhorse, Aurim had been bespelled and kidnapped by Saress, who had revealed her true identity. Aurim had been forced to transport him an his captors to Zuu. After searching at Gullivan's tavern, and finding that 'Jenna' had left some hours before, Darkhorse made his way to the banks of the Serkadian River, where he believed the two had gone. He found traces of magic that Aurim had performed. Using these traces, Darkhorse was able to open up a Blink Hole to follow the young Bedlam. This Blink hole was disrupted by the Green Dragon, who prevented Darkhorse from reaching Zuu to first offer him aid and suggest a different manner of infiltrating the City. Here it is revealed that Yssa is actually the half-human, half-draconian daughter of the Green Dragon, who had been estranged from her Father and spent many years in Zuu. Formulating a plan to rescue Aurim, who they were now sure was imprisoned in Zuu, it was agreed that Darkhorse would bear a disguised rider into the city, who would carry a marker covering their magical signatures. Yssa immediately left with Darkhorse, against the will of her father, and the two disguised themselves and entered the city of Zuu. After receiving some information from one of the Green Dragon's spies, Darkhorse tricks Yssa and leaves her behind, deciding to go into the palace himself and rescue Aurim, who he could sense. Darkhorse succeeds in tracking down a chained Aurim, and attempts to teleport them both from Zuu. They are pulled back by Yureel, who finally decides to reveal himself to his twin, and Aurim, possessed by Yureel, places a spell over Darkhorse preventing him from moving or escaping Zuu. Gallery Darkhorse - Jon Sullivan.jpg|Art by Jon Sullivan Darkhorse - Larry Elmore.jpg|Art by Larry Elmore Darkhorse and Aurim Bedlam - Matt Stawicki.jpg|Art by Matt Stawicki See Also * Shade * Cabe Bedlam * Erini Suun-Ai * Yureel * The Void Category:Creatures of the Void Category:Major characters